E30 Zone

hey all,

my ride seems to be chirping at idle. my guess is something to do with the fan belt or one of the accessory belts... this noise is basically only noticable at idle when the engine is cold. i've been told it could be a dry bearing and should look into it, my thought was moisture on the belts which burns off... but i could be completely off.

any thoughts?

if this is a 316/318i m40 engine could be a squeeky/sticking hydraulic tappet.

belts are easy to check, with the engine stopped push down on a belt and see how much it moves.... any more than an inch and it needs tightened.

it's a 325is m20 motor...

water pump?

turn the steering to full lock and hold it there, does the noise get worse ?
(assuming you have power steering)

thx for this,..

i just checked it out and did what you suggested, i don't hear anything.. in fact i can't hear the chriping at all. it's like i said, basically only when the engine is cold (i just drove to work 3-4 hours ago...)

Possibly the timing belt tensioner pully.
When was the timing belt last changed ?